Molecule–molecule and atom–molecule collisions with ultracold RbCs molecules

Understanding ultracold collisions involving molecules is of fundamental importance for current experiments, where inelastic typically limit the lifetime molecular ensembles in optical traps. Here we present a broad study optically trapped RbCs with one another, reactive Rb atoms, and nonreactive Cs atoms. For experiments alone, show that by modulating intensity trap, such spend 75% each modulation cycle dark, partially suppress collisional loss molecules. This evidence excitation molecule pairs mediated via sticky collisions. We find suppression less effective not prepared spin-stretched hyperfine ground state. may be due either to longer lifetimes complexes or laser-free decay pathways. atom-molecule mixtures, RbCs+Rb RbCs+Cs, demonstrate rate scales linearly density indicates that, both cases, rate-limited two-body processes. measure rates are below thermally averaged universal limit.